Reloading apparatus for small arms ammunition and in particular reference to the sizing and lubrication of raw bullets



Oct. 24, 1961 w. L. HALL RELOADING APPARATUS FOR SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION AND IN PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE SIZING AND LUBRICATION OF RAW BULLETS Filed March 11, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. glf/zl/AM A. HA4;

Oct. 24, 1961 w. HALL 3,6653% RELOADING APPARATUS FOR SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION AND IN PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE SIZING AND LUBRICA'IION 0F RAW BULLETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11, 1959 F/G. Z

INVEN TOR. MAL/AM .4. /'/ALL Oct. 24, 1961 Filed March 11, 1959 RELOADING APPARAT W. L. HALL US FOR SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION AND IN PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE SIZING AND LUBRICATION OF RAW BULLETS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

h MZ/AM A. HALL B WWW- States The present invention relates to improvements in the reloading of small arms ammunitions.

As is well-known amongst small arms users and particularly pistoleers, the cost of factory made ammunition limits the practice use of their weapons, which is desirable in advance of tournaments, and thi expense also carries into law enforcement field, where members are required to reload for obvious economical reasons.

Raw bullets can be produced from three sources, for instance, the lead dug from the ground behind targets, scrap lead bought 'or donated and raw factory produced bullets, the latter being costly.

The present invention entertains only two steps in the reloading of ammunition, and they are the sizing and lubricating of raw bullets. The reshaping of cases, the installation of primers, the metering of gun powder into the cases and the final placement of the sized and lubricated bullets into the cases, are all steps subsequent to the sizing and lubricating treatments briefly explained above; The sizing operation takes care of forming the bullet perfectly cylindrical, for proper disposition within the cartridge case while the lubricating operation accounts for placement of a lubricant material in the usual moulded grooves of the raw bullet.

Therefore, the matter of the present invention is restricted to the sizing and lubricating of raw bullets, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a unit for use in the above sequences of reloading that is automatic and does not require manual exertion. Heretofore, moulded bullets for resizing and lubricating have been manually and singly placed in position for these treatments.

An equally important object of the invention is to provide a unit, which will substantially mitigate tiresome manual effort and produce may more finished bullets, per

unit oftime, than the present day maeirines p'rwirich piunger Sni W the subject matter of Patent No. 2,019,795, issued to C. R. Peterson is the most important. This has expired. 7 While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous ob cts and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the improved machine.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the machine.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FiGURE 4 is a sectional view through the sizing and lubricating die area of the machine,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 20 denotes a base, which has an opening 21 therethrough, for the disposition of bullets that have been sized and lubricated. Suitable means can be employed for securing this base to a work bench.

A certain amount of the structure represented in the accompanying drawings illustrate conventional features, such as are presented in the expired Patent No. 2,019,795.

Broadly, the conventional structure consists of a lubriare I ice cant reservoir 22, in which operates a piston or follower 23 at the lower end of a threaded shaft 24, operating through a bonnet structure 25. The upper end of the shaft 24 is provided with a handle (which may be a ratchet engagement with the shaft 24) denoted by numeral 26 and the lower end of the reservoir 22 seats in a casting 27. An orifice or duct extends through the cast ing 27 and communicates with an opening or duct leading from the reservoir 22, this orifice being denoted by numeral 28 and serving as a communicative outlet for said lubricant reservoir 22, so that lubricant under pressure can be delivered to a passageway 29 and in sequence to cant reservoir 22.

a chamfer 39 in a die 31, located within a vertical bore 32 of the casting 27. The die 31 is conventional and has openings 33 therein, communicating the chamfer with the interior of the die, so that lubricant under pressure from the reservoir 22 is delivered from the chamfer 30, through the openings 33 to fill the usual circumferential grooves of bullets that have been sized as they are driven downwardly through the die.

The foregoing is generally conventional, and as will be seen in FIGURE 4, a plunger 34 operates in the passageway 29, for driving the lubricant into the chamfer 30, and through the openings 33 to lubricate the bullets, immediately after being sized in the die 31. These bullets after being sized and lubricated, pass downwardly through the opening 21 in the base 20, to drop into a suitable receptacle (not shown).

A set screw 35, of suitable formation may be employed for holding the die in place, it being understood that in a conventional structure, as in the present invention, the die is removable and replaceable in the event of wear after long time use,

In the conventional sizing and lubricating unit, such as in the patentstructure mentioned before, a casting 36 is generally employed on the lubricant reservoir 22, and a formation 37 projects from this casting, being bifurcated as at 38, to receive a vertically disposed rocker 39, which is supported by a pin 40, disposed through the furcations of the structure 37. The lower end of this rocker 39 has a curved head 41 which engages a head 42 on the outer end of the plunger 34 (see FIGURES 1 and 4).

On the outside of the casting 27, and convoluted on the plunger 34, is a compression spring 43, which is interposed between the casting 27 and the head 42 of the As seen in the patented and conventional structure, the plunger 34 is driven inwardly, to force lubricant, that has filled the passageway 29 in advance of the plunger 34, by the action of a slide member 44, which operates through a bulge 45 of an upper casting 46 on the lubri- As the slide 44 moves to the left in FIGURE 1, it will execute the operation just described, and this movement of the slide 44 is accomplished by the engagement of a crank arm. 47, acting against the adjacent end of the slide 44. The casting 46 has a bearing 48 formed thereon, and through which extends a shaft 49, and on one end of this is located the arm 47, which is bifurcated to receive a pin 50, which serves to pivotally connect a link 51 between the arm and the bifurcated upper end 52, of a vertical slide 53, which operates through a casting 54, certain portions of which are vertically bored, in order to permit sliding of the casting on a pair of vertical pillars 55, 56, which extend between the casting 46 and the casting 27, as shown in FIGURE 1. The pillars 55, 56 are shown in FIGURE 3 and the casting substantially shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The plunger 53, carries a follower 57, which axially overlies the aforementioned conventional die 31, in which unsized and unlubricated bullets are mechanically and automatically situated, one by one, in order to be pushed downwardly by the automatic operation of the follower 3 head 57, through the sizing and lubricating die 31, as is suggested in FIGURE 1.

In the conventional machine, such as the machine represented by Patent No. 2,019,795, a hand lever extends outwardly from the shaft 49, instead of an arm 59, as in the present structure and which is shown in FIGURE 1. In the Peterson patent structure, the arm is denoted by numeral 41, whereas in the present invention the element 41 of Peterson is eliminated and the arm 59 is employed in conjunction with a pivotal link connection 60, to an arm 61, located on a shaft 62, Within a housing 63, which carries a gear 64, meshing with a worm 65, on a shaft 66, the shaft 66 being a vertical armature shaft, forming part of an electric motor 67. This motor 67 is suitably se cured to the topside of the base 20.

Referring again to the improved structure, herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood, that instead of the handle 42 and its rod connection 41, the present invention utilizes the arm 59 and the pivotal connection 60 with the arm 61, driven by the worm and gear connection, actuated by the motor 67.

At this point, it might be understood that the present invention contemplates the use of a single motive unit for automatically feeding bullets, sizing bullets and lubricating them. This accomplished through the medium of one motive unit, specifically the motor 67.

In proceeding further with the description of the present invention, it will be seen, that numeral 68 denotes a bullet feed tube, the lower end of which, may have a cotter pin or the like 63a for temporarily holding the untrimmed and unlubricated raw bullets in place, while the tube is being set into a socket 69, in a top plate 69a, which is secured by screws 6% to the casting 27a, and this socket 69 is positioned so that the lower end of the tube 68 opens into an alley 70 in the casting 27a.

A horizontal slideway 71 is formed in the casting 27, and contains a follower 72, which has a pin 73, projecting laterally through a slot 74 in the casting 27. The pin 73 projects outwardly of the casting and is engaged in a short slot 75, of a bell-crank 76, rockably supported on a pin 7'7, projecting from a formation 78 of the casting 27. The pin 73 is held to the plunger 72 by a set screw 73a.

The other end of the bell-crank 76, is pivotally connected as at 79, to a link-rod 80, which has its upper end journalled onto a pin 81, projecting laterally from the slide casting 54, located on the pillars 55, 56.

In again referring to the die 31, it can be seen, that the upper end is flanged outwardly to overlap the adjacent portion of the casting 27, and is flared, as at 82 in order to adequately receive bullets that are passed into this throat by motivation of the s ide or pusher 72.

It appears, that not oniy the conventional structure has been illustrated and briefly described in the foregoing description, but that the parts of the improvements have also been specifically established by description and illustration and a further and more detailed description of the operation will now take place.

In the operation of the device, when the motor 67, is energized, by the closing of a switch (not shown) in an electrical circuit (not shown), the shaft 66 is driven, and through the medium of the worm gear 65 and the gear 64 on the shaft 62, the crank-arm 61 is motivated. Through this action, the link 68 is pulled downwardly and the arm 59 rocks the shaft 49, so that the crank-arm 47 pushes downwardly on the link 51, causing downward motion of the plunger 53 and its head 57. Preparatory to this, a raw bullet, which is gravitated from the tube 68, into the casting 27, is moved to the left in FIG- URE 4, by the plunger or pusher 72, until it is seated within the flared end 82 of the die 31. This operation by the motor, first through the medium of the link 80, bell-crank 76 and plunger 72, moves the raw bullet into position, as the head 57 is about to engage the target end of the same. This downward movement of the head 57,

4 is occasioned by the link 51, and as the link 51 continues in movement through a definite arc, the arm 47 engages the slide 44, causing left movement of the upper end of the rocker, as shown in FIGURE 1.

This movement of the rocker 39 will cause the lower curved head 41 thereof, to press against the plunger 34, against the compressive resistance of the coiled spring 43, resulting in the injection of lubricant from the passageway 29, into the chamfer 30, and through the openings 33, to deposit the 'usual lubricant grooves of the bullet.

As is apparent in FIGURE 1, the downward movement of the link 51, forces the entire casting 54 downwardly on the guide pillars 55, 56, to dispose the follower 57 in a position moving downwardly, over the bullet 58, just as it is positioned by the slide 72 (see FIGURE 4), and the simultaneous or coordinated operation of the rocker 39, takes care of the injection of lubricant into the lubricant recesses of the bullet. Thus, the bullet is not only sized by being pushed downwardly through the die 31, but is impregnated with lubricant by the action of the rocker 39 and plunger 34.

It can be observed, all parts are kept in a neutral position while there is any hiatus in the operation of the machine.

In conclusion, all that is required to keep the machine in continual operation is to occasionally glance at the machine to see whether there is a feed of raw bullets and if not, the machine can be momentarily stopped while a fresh tube 68 of raw bullets is inserted in place. The reservoir 22 will carry a considerable amount of lubricant, and from time to time, the hand lever 26 can be actuated to force downwardly the screw 44 and the follower 23, to place the column of lubricant in the reservoir under it sufiicient pressure.

The casting 27a is held to the casting 27 by a set screw 27!) as shown in FIGURE 4.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be re sorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A raw bullet sizing and lubricating means comprising a base, a lubricant chamber mounted on said base, a vertically mounted die holder on said base, a die in said die holder, plunger means feeding lubricant from said chamber to said die, vertical guides on said base adjacent said die, a slide vertically movable on said guides, a cast ing at the top of said guides and mounted on top of said lubricant chamber, an axle extending through said casting, an arm secured to said axle, a link pivoted at one end to said slide and at its other end to said arm, a motor mounted on said base, an eccentric rotatable by said motor, a second arm on said axle, a second link pivotally connecting said second arm with said eccentric for reciprocating said slide, a die follower carried by said slide, a bullet feed tube having a lower end terminating adjacent said die, a horizontal slide carried by said base below said lower end of said bullet feed tube, and means actuated by movement of said vertically movable slide for moving said horizontal slide to move a raw buiiet from said lower end of said feed tube into position in said die synchronously with the down stroke of said die foilower, said last-mentioned means including a bell crank lever having the apex pivoted on said base, a pivotal and slidable connection between one leg of said bell crank lever and said horizontal slide, and a third link pivoted at one end to the other leg of said bell crank lever and at its other end to said vertical slide.

2. A raw bullet sizing and lubricating means comprising-a base, a lubricant chamber mounted on said base, a vertically mounted die holder on said base, a die in said die holder, plunger means feeding lubricant from said 8,005,372 5 6 chamber to said die, vertical guides on said base adjacent and said horizontal slide, a third link pivoted at one end 7 said die, a slide vertically movable on said guides, a castto the other leg of said bell crank lever and at its other ing at the top of said guides and mounted on top of said end to said vertical slide, a horizontal plunger on said lubricant chamber, an axle extending through said castcasting, said horizontal plunger being positioned in the ing, an arm secured to said axle, a link pivoted at one end 5 path of movement of said first-mentioned arm for moveto said slide tandtatitsmthenr end tomsaid arm a, motor?mnmentthereby arocking lever pivotecLatitsmidpoint to% said lubricant chamber, one end of said lever being movmotor, a second arm on said axle, a second link pivotally able by said horizontal plunger and the other end of connecting said second arm with said eccentric for resaid last-mentioned lever being positioned adjacent said ciprocating said slide, a die follower carried by said slide, 10 plunger means to actuate said plunger means synchroa bullet feed tube having a lower end terminating adjanously with the movement of said die follower to lubricent said die, a horizontal slide carried by said base becate a bullet in said die.

low said lower end of said bullet feed tube, means actuated by movement of said vertically movable slide for moving said horizontal slide to move a raw bullet from 15 said lower end of said feed tube into position in said die mounted on said base, an eccentric rotatable by said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS synchronously with the down stroke of said die follower, 133,066 Stetson Nov. 12, 1872 said last-mentioned means including a bell crank lever 365,919 Harrison July 5, 1887 having the apex pivoted on said base, a pivotal and slid- 1,275,581 Macomber Aug. 13, 1918 able connection between one leg of said bell crank lever 20 2,019,795 Peterson Nov. 5, 1935 

